ICE agent accused of lying about north Minneapolis shooting booked into Hennepin County Jail
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with lying about the circumstances leading up to his shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in north Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge is now in the Hennepin County Jail.
Christian Castro, 52, pleaded not guilty to six federal counts of making false statements to investigators.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says it arrested Castro around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Second Avenue South and Third Street in Minneapolis. He was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on an active warrant.
Castro, who has been suspended without pay by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was released from custody in late August after Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott refused to sign an extradition warrant to Minnesota.
"Gov. Abbott's attempt to shield Mr. Castro from accountability has failed. We look forward to commencing our prosecution," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement Wednesday.
A judge in McAllen, Texas, had ordered Castro released on a $75,000 bond and told him to wear a GPS ankle monitor.
Charges allege Castro was working with his partner on Jan. 14 and pursued a then-26-year-old Venezuelan citizen on foot in front of a north Minneapolis duplex. Julio Sosa-Celis came out to help during the struggle.
The documents say the two men ran back inside the duplex and Castro fired a single shot through the door, striking Sosa-Celis in the foot. There were multiple people, including two children, in the home at the time. Surveillance video threw Castro's account of the encounter into doubt.
Castro is scheduled to make his first appearance in state court on Thursday. He is expected in Minnesota federal court on Friday afternoon.
